Spartan B312:Child of Onyx, Spartan to the End
by Blade of Farfarello
Summary: Drifting back to those old training days, back to the forest called home... 50 sentences about the life of Noble Six.


_Title: Child of Onyx, A Spartan to the End_

_Fandom: Halo Reach_

_Character: Noble Six aka SPARTAN B-312_

_Theme Set: Alpha Set_

_Disclaimer: Don't own Halo Reach and I don't know what I would do if I did._

_001 – Speak – Many times on the travel to Reach, he couldn't help but wonder what words were spoken, thought, and evaluated over the decision for him to be on this mission, for him to be chosen. _

_002 –Touch –His shoulders tenses as he watches the ODST squad from behind the bushes; he turns to his left when someone bumped his shoulder, swiped two of their fingers across their faceplate 'hello' and signed the numbers 319, he gave his best friend Kyle a 'smile' back._

_003 – Memory – As he surveys New Alexandria from the distance, his body battered and bruised from the fall back to Reach, the dog tags hanging in his fingers had Jorge's last words echoing in his head; as he carefully put the tags away, he promises quietly to himself that he'll make Jorge's sacrifice count._

004 _–__Vanilla__–When Kat passes by, he catches the aroma of a sweet flower in the air, he finds himself brought back to the days in Beta Company; the rigorous training, the whispered talks between recruits after lights out and the bittersweet kisses with the girl he held close at night, the soft scent of vanilla that was left behind in the morning._

_005 –Chocolate__– He still remembers the day he had his first cigarette, his Dad had given it to him; the carton (half red half white, with black text that said King Lion), the smooth wax-like texture of its paper, and the flavor of the sweet chocolate confection as it melted onto his fingers; who would have thought a cigarette could taste so sweet?_

_006 –Ways and Means – __Lieutenant Commander Ambrose and the SPARTAN Beta Company's teacher Deep Winter went about different ways to achieve the means of helping the SPARTAN children; Lieutenant Ambrose taught them more aggressive tactics and fighting styles while Deep Winter taught them arts of subtle tactics through his lessons. _

_007 –Belief – Random conversations in the mess hall sometimes led to questionings of why they were here on Onyx; most kids' reason was revenge for their parents and their glassed home world, some for the glory that being in the military brought, and rare others like himself joined to prevent others from ending like them. ___

_008 – Linger – The SPARTAN-III augmentations were painful, sometimes they were almost practically unbearable but every once in a while its ghost lingers in his mind on those restless nights; he peers down at his clenched fist and remembers the reason he fights, so that more children don't end like him, an orphan of many that lost those they cared for. _

_009 –Illuminance – Jun seemed different to him than all the other SPARTANS of Noble team, more mellow if not calm about facing the Covenant and when he asked him about it; Jun merely replied "I kill the enemy but do not hate them"; it made him feel that he's learned something. _

_010 – Ornament – His most prized treasure was a trinket that J.D. had given to him before he was entered into the SPARTAN program: a small compass that he said that's purpose was "to find your way home." _

_011 –Coup de foudre – On the first night on Onyx, he and the other kids were lead into a cafeteria to eat their first meal, he looks up from his plate to the girl across the table; her pretty green eyes meet his and he swears his heart skips a beat when she smiles back at him._

_012 –Archway – Somehow he and J.D. felt- be it an instinct or some kind of sixth sense- they had a feeling that when he walked through that doorway that would be the last time that they would see their brother. _

_013 –Fate –As he watches the Corvettes fly overhead, the notes of his mother's lullaby find their way to his lips, he hums them as he prepares to go down fighting until the very end._

_014 –Pulse – Sometimes when the pain came, they would try overriding it with pleasure; in those times his lips would press against the pulse in her neck and her hand above the one in his wrist – proof that they were truly alive in these moments. _

_015 –Envelope – He finds himself relax as he writes letters to Mom, Dad and J.D. whenever he has the time, seals them up nice and neat into envelopes just before he burns them, dreaming that as the ashes soar away, the words reach them wherever they are._

_016- Cold– The leader screams at him to remove his helmet, that he wants to see the eyes of his murderer, the eyes of the grim reaper sent to take his life, he allows the man's his final request, the man shivers as if the temperature in the room has suddenly drop to below 0; "Farewell, may you find peace in the next life," are the icy last words that he hears before the bullet hits him between the eyes._

_017 –Need –When he hears Captain Keys' congrats, "Not just me, sir" he answers, hoping it coveys his desire, no –his __**need **__that the sacrifice of Noble (Jorge, Kat, Carter, Emile) be remembered; he feels reassured by the captain's grip on his arm and his response that they will be._

_018 – Drunk – He had heard from someone that drinking can help people forget things, he tried it once but quit after he found that it gives more power to the darker, shady memories that he wanted to rid himself of._

_019 – Mask – Most that had read his file even the parts the ONI censors didn't wish to indulge thought that he was nothing more than an emotionless lone-wolf assassin that was very skilled at what he did and followed orders with no complaint, none had gone past the facade to the shattered and broken man under the shell._

_020 –Rose –The color red always reminded him of roses and roses always made him think of Mother, the scent of her favorite tea that lingered in the sweater she always wore when he tucked him in at night._

_021 – Two –He finds himself saddened at the thought that the one person had become two in his mind; Katie-the green-eyed girl with the quick wit that helped in training, the one he held at night when the aftereffects of the augmentations became too painful for them and Kat – the lieutenant commander of Noble Team whose shoulders always seem to carry some burden(guilt, a feeling that he could easily sympathize with), whose green eyes looked at him like he didn't belong, he seemed like nothing but a piece of the memories that she decided to let be forgotten._

_022 –Fresh –If there was one scent that he could not stand, he would have to say that it was the smell that he comes across over majority of his career, the aroma of fresh corpses after finishing a job._

_023 – Bribe – It's nothing new to him when the militia leader tries to offers all the usual: money, women, power, all the usual things in exchange of their life, his answer the same as always, "You have nothing I neither want nor need, I'm just here to get the job done."_

_024 –Error – In their way of life, there wasn't any room for mistakes; they had to be more than flawed and broken humans, they had to be SPARTANs, the supposedly invincible super-soldiers that never die. _

_025 –Appetite – Days after several of the kids had their augmentations injected, the mess hall echoed with sounds of growling stomachs, Brooke, Kyle and he had their plates piled with food; "you guys are such pigs" Katie scolded them before they replied with a collective "yes, mom" and laughed._

_026 – Refrain – He leans against the wall taking a break after another job – another massacre, what's left of his conscience fills in for him as he lights his cigarette, taking a deep inhale of it – he pulls his pistol from its holster and places against his head, his face a perfect picture of calm as exhales the smoke, but before he could press his finger on the trigger, a memory flashes in his mind: a young boy who smiles at him innocent and bright – J.D., his little brother; he lets the gun fall from his loose grip as his thoughts descend into chaos and broken laughter spills from his lips, it's just yet another day that he hasn't end it all._

_027 –Family – The smell of cloves from Dad's cigarettes, Mom's lullaby followed by the perfume of her favorite tea, and J.D.'s toothy smile are parts of the few things that he remembers about them._

_028 –Grieve – When the news of Beta Company's demise reached his ears, he can't help but think back to the old training days back on Onyx, memories of old friends and comrades; he remember their names and numbers inscribed in his head, not like he'd forget them. _

_029 –Vapor –Watching the clouds as the Sabre launched through the stratosphere made him think of how his friends would wish to be in his place, about to soar into space to be able to look out the windows at the stars. _

_030 –Tea – He sits across the table from Kyle, dressed in his SPI armor without his helmet, drinking dark red tea that reminded him of the blood he's spilled, all their fellow SPARTANs in battle around them and fatally-wounded Brooke holding his hand; "Never forget… Onyx… Please…don't forget us," she cries as the red life essence spills from her lips and he wakes from the nightmare, sobbing, with rivers of tears streaming from his eyes._

_031 – Medicine – Medicine used to be what his mother gave him when he was sick, but when he became a SPARTAN the word took on a new meaning, medicine became painful injections, ever growing madness from the agony. _

_032 –Moth – Many times the Admiral had said that SPARTANs seemed to have a near-fatal attraction for battle to which his response was that everyone at some point in their life becomes a moth to the flame. _

_033 –Perfect – "I aim to please," he answered to Jorge, eyeing the view of the falling super-carrier; a sense of camaraderie filled him as a small friendly smile spread across his face, unseen. _

_034 –Rope – He was glad when he had been assigned to Noble Team, he felt free of the tether that his handler, his commanding officer that had been held over his head for years; the thought of his freedom from the man brought a tearful happy smile upon his lips._

_035 –Wind – He knows of the stories and the myths that the militia make about him: the dark shadow that moves fast as the wind and strikes unpredictable as lightning in a storm. _

_036 –Crossroads –Sometimes he finds himself thinking what if he chose the other path, the other choice: to live a normal life away from the grueling training, the pain of augmentations, and the feelings of homesickness, but then the chief would tell him that there's no time for what ifs in the life of a SPARTAN._

_037 – Summer – Summer days on Onyx were spent learning the SPARTAN 'language' and historical military strategies from their AI teacher Deep Winter and practicing guerilla tactics, and teamwork while running through the humid forest with Lieutenant Ambrose watching somewhere in the trees above._

_038 –Candy – He felt the presence of unshed tears in his eyes at Emile's wisecracks at Jorge, it brought back memories of an old friend, Brooke with her sharp sarcastic wit she would cover the panic with the bittersweet coat of humor._

_039 –Photograph – The last time he saw his parents was a holograph that they taken when they had a picnic at some planet that he couldn't remember, looking at a sunset so beautiful that felt like it warmed his soul. _

_040 –Spoon – You'd be surprised of the many ways a SPARTAN could kill someone with even the most simplest of eating utensils. _

_041 –Forest – When he dreams, sometimes he wanders to that forest, he runs as fast as he can, his heart pumping, his friends by his side as they swerve in and out through the trees, their laughter ringing in his ears; the sound still echoes in his head when he wakes with eyes burning from tears and a smile on his lips from the intense feeling that swell in his heart. _

_042 –Mirror –Sometimes he wonders if the solider, the SPARTAN he sees in the reflection is the real him._

_043 – Smoke – He smokes a cigarette before he does a job to take the time to calm his nerves and distance himself from his emotions; he smokes after the completion of the mission, the familiar scent of his father's brand helps him find the way to the moments when his life didn't seem so dark and gritty, the only thread that keeps his sanity in check after doing these operations that leave blood spattered on the walls that surround him._

_044 –Shine –"You're the star of the class, you know that don't you," Brooke told him to which he answered with a shrug; "Don't forget us when you going shoot off into the depths of space" she finished with her hand shaped like a gun pointing at the sky._

_045 –Balloon –The thoughts of what-ifs always left him with the sensation of longing as if he let chances float away from him, the sadness of lost dreams left in his heart._

_046 –Vine – "Word on the grapevine says that you'll be leaving soon," Kyle starts in a gentle casual tone "I just want to say goodbye and remember that goodbyes aren't farewell but that hope that the gods be with you on your journey." _

_047 – Butterfly –One could compare them (SPARATANs) to that of the stages of butterfly; the fresh recruits they began –their larva state, the augmentations and the training that forged their chrysalis, and when they were suited and truly SPARTANs is when they finally spread their wings._

_048 –Gloves –When he looked down at his gloves, all can think of is how his hands have been forged into weapons of war, the blood that stains them though the stains aren't visible anymore. _

_049 –Venom – He's not surprised by the words that were that contained in the file of his assessment, instead he felt a bit flattered and a larger part sad at the part that said he's "akin to a hyper-lethal vector than a soldier."_

_050 – Remain –He knows that that the planet of Reach will be his tomb, that his flesh and bones will become one with the earth of beneath his feet, but he will be at peace knowing that he went down fighting for what he believed in._


End file.
